While NBC eagerly touted Colorado legalizing marijuana at the start of the year, even promoting one Denver store that hoped to become the "Costco of weed," on Monday's Today, correspondent Miguel Almaguer finally noticed a downside to legalized drug use: "More than half of Colorado's 61 arrests made in January for impaired driving involved someone who was high." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

NBC joins ABC and CBS in belatedly covering the negative consequences of legalizing pot after initially promoting the move. CBS This Morning hyped Colorado's "marijuana munchies" before discovering pot contaminated with mildew and e-coli. ABC's World News proclaimed an "historic" "pot revolution" in the state before reporting on the legal marijuana trade becoming a popular target for criminals.

On Monday, co-host Matt Lauer informed viewers: "A new ad campaign launches in Colorado today. The focus is warning drivers in a state where marijuana is now legal of the dangers of smoking and then getting behind the wheel."

Almaguer followed: "The million-dollar ad campaign pokes fun at stoners. A series of commercials showing marijuana users spacing out....Paid for by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the ad campaign is the state's first push to remind drivers marijuana should be treated like alcohol, both impair your judgment, both can land you in jail."

After Almaguer noted the number of stoned driving arrests, Colorado state trooper T.W. Cox explained: "The potential to find somebody who's high is going to be – is greater now."

During a ride-along with Cox, Almaguer wondered: "How dangerous is a high driver?" Cox replied: "High drivers are extremely dangerous. It's exactly the same as someone who's on alcohol."

Where was that kind of investigative journalism before the law passed? Or even when it first went into effect in January?

Co-host Carson Daly then decided to make the topic a joke once again: "SNL had a funny bit about it this weekend, they said the signs you're going to see now on the highway say 'speed up.'" That prompted laughter from the cast.

Here is a full transcript of the March 10 segment:

8:17 AM ET

MATT LAUER: A new ad campaign launches in Colorado today. The focus is warning drivers in a state where marijuana is now legal of the dangers of smoking and then getting behind the wheel. Here's NBC's Miguel Almaguer.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Don't Take the High Road; Colorado Cracks Down on Stoned Drivers]

MIGUEL ALMAGUER: The million-dollar ad campaign pokes fun at stoners. A series of commercials showing marijuana users spacing out. A reminder while it is legal to smoke pot in Colorado, it's against the law to be high behind the wheel.

ANDREW FRIEDMAN [CO. DIR. OF MARIJUANA COORDINATION]: This is the first public education campaign. There'll be many to come.

ALMAGUER: Paid for by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the ad campaign is the state's first push to remind drivers marijuana should be treated like alcohol, both impair your judgment, both can land you in jail. For state police it's no joke.